Women Warrior Memoirs - Research Paper Example

So, learning and speaking a foreign language is important, but it is also important not to forget one’s private language.

Girlhood among Ghosts by Maxine Hong Kingston. This is a collection of memoirs written by Kingston herself without the mentioning of her name. The narrator talks about how she grew up in a foreign land, which is the United States. The narrator is Chinese, and foreign people are generally termed ghosts in the Chinese language. We also see literal ghosts in a couple of sections, but generally, ghosts mean non-Chinese people. The narrator keeps on bringing on the memories and cultural norms of China, while living in the United States, which shows that she has never let go of her mother's culture.

Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. In this story, the narrator talks about the influence of the mother tongue on the chances and opportunities that come the way of the person, especially if he speaks limited or broken English. She talks about how her mother had adopted different kinds of Englishes just for the sake of survival in the non-native country. The narrator tells about her struggles, and how she changed her major from pre-med to English and became a freelance writer. The theme behind this is that the language spoken in a family has a great influence on the personality and destiny of a person.

We can compare the three stories in the sense that they all talk about the importance of the mother language and cultural identity. These two things remain a part and parcel of one’s life even when one goes abroad and settles down in another culture with foreign people. Private language and mother tongue should not be given up, because these have a great impact on our personalities and the way we cope with our everyday lives.

“When I went to kindergarten and had to speak English for the first time, I became silent. A dumbness – a shame – still cracks my voice in two, even when I want to say "hello" casually, or ask an easy question in front of the check-out counter, or ask directions of a bus driver” (Kingston, 5.30).